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PRIVACY
Economic Development

Tech hub plans as Vodafone makes move to Colmore Plaza

Telecoms giant confirms office relocation for almost 200 staff amid proposals to launch a new technology hub in the city

Colmore Plaza, which will be the new home of Vodafone staff in Birmingham city centre

Telecoms giant Vodafone is moving to a large city centre office amid plans to launch a new technology hub in Birmingham.

The company has taken an entire floor at and will transfer 186 employees across from elsewhere in the city.

The move comes months after Vodafone published proposals to close eight offices throughout the country, with a reported 121 job losses in Burton alone, and plans for hubs in Birmingham, Bracknell and Glasgow.

However, a Vodafone spokesperson denied that there were plans to increase the workforce in Birmingham.

She said: "We haven't announced the details or location of the new technology hub in Birmingham but it will enhance the service we give to our customers by concentrating expertise and skills in one place.

"We're also planning to provide our employees in Birmingham with a great place to work. This is an office move – we hope that the majority of our 186 employees in the old building will move with us to the new building. There are no plans currently to increase the number of roles in Birmingham."

Vodafone plans to close the Burton building by March 2015 while it says the new customer services and technology centres will be located in cities around the country.

The changes are part of a review of Vodafone's operations following the acquisition of Cable & Wireless Worldwide in July 2012 for more than £1 billion. Vodafone has taken the entire 22,924 sq ft ninth floor of the 14-storey Colmore Plaza building on a 10-year lease.